Thai Police fines Dutch couple for carrying Swiss army knife in car (VIDEO)

[Kaalle]

Thai police fine people for imaginary offences? Please say it aint so.

[gigman]

Just another nail in the coffin...

not worth it to talk about it...

[oneday]

This is not a total surprise from Thai cops...the surprise for me is that a higher ranking officer defending it. I guess the Thai brass will back up any actions their employees take no matter how idiotic.

[how241]

Top police work...

+1....Unreal....what a waste of police manpower.

[smotherb]

does not look like a swiss army knife more like a buck knife

it also appears to me they are in a taxi and the thai lady an the guy in the passenger seat are passengers .

I carry a Nepalese Khukuri and in my car in the door compartment on the driver side

amazing she talks after the leave u can carry a gun, big knife an no trouble

Thailand is losing it

Looks more like one of those knock-off thumb-openers you can buy on the street.

[harleyclarkey]

What about the wheel brace for the nuts? Far more lethal than a pocket knife.

Are we all now under the threat of these idiotic thugs every time we drive?

DBefore we set off do we have to check every part of our vehicles in case someone dropped a knife,check under the seats, behind the back seat, all compartments, the boot and maybe the engine compartment??

The mind boggles at the these total low life and brainless idiots.

This is but one reason I often bang on here (to the annoyance of some members\) about rotten Thailand.

[enufsaid]

Maybe the raids were 3 wks into the month , whatever is happening over there they need to clean it up. I go over on business & 4 out of every cabs I got into wouldn't use their meter, motorbike taxis asking standard 100 baht to go 300 meters, won't take father & son on same motorbike taxi, jabbering police, but then you see 2 policeman on one bike , where ever you go there you're now being ripped off . Really great for tourism, they're loosing them by the 100s, cambodia, Laos, Vietnam & Myanmar picking up big time.

Edited February 7, 2015 by enufsaid

[Johnsy]

meanwhile somewhere in Thailand a Foreigner is being hacked to death by a taxi driver with a machete because of an argument over a 100 baht fare !!

[BusyB]

As I read this I glance over to my Swiss Army knife sitting on a shelf in the living room. Should I start worrying or just hand myself in and hope for leniency from the authorities?

I'm about to run downstairs and take mine out of the console of the car! I've always carried it in there. Had no idea I was breaking any law.

Guess they'll jail me - I always carry mine in my pocket

[BuckBee]

Well it was not a swiss army knife was it ...

Usual sh!t reporting details but still bit over the top thai police but made worse by stating its purpose was self defence :-/

[Travelman868]

Well she was pretty dumb saying it was for self defense...

Should have said it was for minor repairs...

I have to agree, there are a million reasons to carry Swiss Army Knife but self defense is not one. By the time the correct blade has been found ????????

[slipperx]

Anyone else getting sick to the teeth of the blatant racist double standards here and the lack of anyone with the fortitude to stand up to it. Time to expose the racism here and push for action to be taken to guide Thailand to compliance with all the international treaties signed then conveniently ignored!

[Nowisee]

Complete stupidity and lack of discretion by the rip offs in uniform.

[soalbundy]

Anyone else getting sick to the teeth of the blatant racist double standards here and the lack of anyone with the fortitude to stand up to it. Time to expose the racism here and push for action to be taken to guide Thailand to compliance with all the international treaties signed then conveniently ignored!

Good luck with that, you start, we will try and collect some bail money

[luckyman]

They should see the knife that's kept in my car's console, hahahaha!

[soalbundy]

I have been stopped at a road block,in the back of my car was a bladed grass cutter two large machete's a scythe and an axe, no problem, i think they were looking for guns it was during ''the troubles''.

[iamariva1957]

It was no Swiss Army Knife, but as usual anything that they can stop you for and then fine you for... they will. No explanation, no need to follow their own rules, no need for any things like Probable Cause, or the rule of their own laws. Yet, we are supposed to believe that they want foreign travelers to come and enjoy Thailand (and spend money here) and that the new government wants to improve things within the country and within the Police force/s. To that I say... "Good luck with that."

There are times when I have been stopped for a random check and thought that maybe this time I will stand on my rights under Thai law, and be the 'tough, loud, confident, and Take No BS American'. But then in the end I remain the usual non-confrontational Farang that we have all learned to become. Maybe, just maybe, we should change that demeanor/behavior and give them a hard time. Then maybe they will leave us alone and focus on the Thai criminals out there as well within their own ranks and do the job that they are mandated to by their own country's Rule Of Law and government in the mane of the King and His people!

This is a great country with a wonderful culture and people. The shame of it is that there are cops like these all over the country that believe that they are the final word and do not have to act in a responsible, legal manner. In their tight uniforms, their authoritarian manner, their service ribbons (what they mean no seems to know and you can buy them anywhere over the counter) and their dismissive attitude to anything except their own desires... well... I guess we are screwed! Besides, they couldn't find their own hats if they were on their heads.

I say maybe it is time in this new environment of a new government that says that they want to improve things and clean up the mess, we should 'fight' back by standing our ground. So to show them that there will be a Loss of Face for them if they continue to behave as if they are gods.

Or we just do the same old things that we have been and ;not rock the boa;t and be the meek Farangs they expect us to be. But I do have a question... what would happen if a Farang TO Officer showed up that we could actually talk and explain things to? Maybe nothing at all... but it would be fun to pit them against each other... think of it as a floor show!

[iamariva1957]

illegal to carry a knife without legitimate reason in Australia too and self defence is not legitimate reason

Yea same in the US... to carry a blade longer than a certain number of inches. But a Swiss Army Knife would be fine. But again, this was no Swiss Army anything.

[iamariva1957]

This is not a total surprise from Thai cops...the surprise for me is that a higher ranking officer defending it. I guess the Thai brass will back up any actions their employees take no matter how idiotic.

I agree with you! But to those that might not... do the words Koh Tao mean anything to you people?

[ChiangraiTony]

So what exactly is the law in Thailand? Pocket knives generally are used as a tool. If anyone knows the law please share the information.

[masuk]

Not sure about the other TV members but this one will certainly get a good night sleep as our RTPBIB are maintaining eternal vigilance for my family, home & gecko. Besure to keep yourselves neat and trim; long fingernails could be next.

You reminded me of an extinct law in Singapore. Some years ago it was not permissible for males to have long hair.

You could always tell which students were returning home from overseas studies, as they'd have a real crew cut before departure. It was either that or have the police do it on arrival in Singapore!

Let's not give the b.i.b. here any ideas.

[outboard]

illegal to carry a knife without legitimate reason in Australia too and self defence is not legitimate reason

Yea same in the US... to carry a blade longer than a certain number of inches. But a Swiss Army Knife would be fine. But again, this was no Swiss Army anything.

it is any knife in Australia, you can get arrested for carrying a butter knife, not only that you have to 18 years old to buy one, the stupidity of seeing a sign at the supermarket on plastic cutlery that you have ID to buy it

[rubl]

So what exactly is the law in Thailand? Pocket knives generally are used as a tool. If anyone knows the law please share the information.

If anyone knows the law

Terribly sorry and all that, but asked in wrong forum. Here we have mostly different types of expert.

I know, I'm one

[stingray]

They going to far now. A Swiss army knife is a tool, not a weapon. In this case, you can not even buy any kitchen or steak knifes in the Tesco and take it to your home without getting penalized by the cops???

Maybe i have to worry about my toolbox in the car. I'm quite sure there is a cutter inside somewhere

Edited February 7, 2015 by stingray

[johncat1]

Just another police scam !!! Flick-knives and knuckledusters are freely available in every roadside market. Thais are allowed to carry large knives and machetes so they can prepare their somtum. Also to cut down the nearest tree as a warning sign for when they break down.. I still intend keeping my cheap multi-purpose tool in my car It is not a Swiss army Knife but it has got me out of trouble a few times ,.... Opened a few bottles of beer too.

But it would be interesting to know if the police " confiscated " the knife ......No prizes for guessing whose pocket it ended up in !!!

Edited February 7, 2015 by johncat1

[AloisAmrein]

This is more than ridiculous. I am Swiss and I carry always a Swiss army knife with me, also in Thailand. It is not a weapon, allowed in all of Europe and I think even in the USA. It is a useful instrument, not a weapon. Thai police would better look after corrupt crooks, drug dealers and drunk drivers instead molesting tourists. One more bad advertising for Thailand.

[sirineou]

being coming to Thailand for about ten years now, Love Thailand ant the Thai people,

The plan was that when I retired, in about five years, me and my Thai wife would move to Thailand full time in a little place we own in KKC

This and many many other more serious issues, ranging from visa issues, to health care,to pollution,treatment of foreigners by government etc etc etc

are convincing me that I should not be putting all my eggs in one basket,

My retirement home in Florida is fine, maybe six months there, six months in Thailand,

If I find that things in Thailand are not as bad as I thought, rent the place in Florida and stay in Thailand more, but always have it there in case things in Thailand go belly up and need to move back to the states

They say "where there is smoke there is fire" and the more I learn about Thailand the more smoke I see comming from way too many different place.

Edited February 7, 2015 by sirineou

[VIPinthailand]

the law says "only Swiss citizen can carry publicly a Swiss knife legally in Thailand" art. 6.23

[outboard]

You can see the knife in the video, it does not look like any Swiss army knife I have ever seen,

as far as laws go I guess it would be similar to the gun law, ie. not allowed without a valid reason

that would cover the carrying of steak knives home from where you bought them but would not cover carrying for self defence

[johncat1]

I don't need a knife, i have ceramic teeth

I don't have any teeth but I can give a nasty suck !!!................ Is my mouth illegal too ?